La Bel Age
by citrinestone1000
Summary: Sirius starts seeing things clearer.


Title: La Bel Age

Characters:b Bellatrix/Sirius

WARNINGS: Cousin/Cousin some may consider this incest other might not. Somewhat AU. I tend to see Bellatrix a couple years older than Sirius and not the age difference canon has.

Disclaimer: Not my characters, just having fun. Thanks JKR.

Author's Notes: Thanks to my beta. All mistakes are mine. This was written for the interhouse_fest at LJ.

"Hell!" Sirius said trying to reach for his wand that he had left on the night table. It wasn't there. He saw it close to the open window where the wind was blowing the curtains and the rain was coming in. Walking from his bed to the window, Sirius picked up his wand before he slammed the window shut. "Damn you for waking me up," he spoke to the storm, which answered back with thunder.

Sirius looked to the crumpled sheets on his bed and knew it was useless to try and go back to sleep. He had gone to bed early to avoid spending time with the guest his mother had invited. He'd even missed out on dinner, giving no excuses and making his way to his bedroom, securing it and casting a silencing charm, knowing his mother would storm up the stairs and knock on his door yelling at him to come down stairs to keep company with her guest. It seemed that yelling was the only way he communicated with his mother lately.

The grumbling of his stomach reminded him that surely there would be leftovers. He undid the wards from his door and went downstairs to the kitchen.

There was a light coming from the kitchen, which he figured was from Kreacher using

candlelight to clean, something Sirius had seen the elf do many times. He walked into the kitchen surprised to see, not Kreacher, but Bellatrix, who was picking meat off a chicken leg. She gave him a wicked smile before she threw the bone to Iago, his mother's black Scottish Terrier; it was wagging its tail looking at Bellatrix. She said something to the dog, which Sirius couldn't hear, then continued to eat the meat.

Sirius stared at her as she chewed. He didn't know why he didn't move, why he stayed and watched how her jaw moved up and down and how her fingers and lips glistened from the chicken fat. She swallowed, then spoke.

"If you wanted chicken,i c_ousin/i_, you are out of luck." She looked him up and down.

Sirius realized he was wearing only his pyjama bottoms. He felt the urge to cover himself with his arms, but fought it, knowing that she would feel some triumph over him.

"I am so tired of chicken,i c_ousin/i. _I could care less if you had given the last piece to Iago," he said, turning to look at the dog that was still sniffing the bone Bellatrix had thrown to him. "I came down because I thought I heard a mouse. Seems like it was a rat instead."

"Very funny." Bellatrix patted her thigh. Sirius took a step back and took a deep breath. Then Iago jumped on her lap and started licking her fingers.

"Oh, Iago, seems to me you don't care for chicken bones," she said.

In a quick second he imagined himself in his animagus form giving Bellatrix the same attention, and wondered if she would be as affectionate to him as she was to Iago.

His body no longer craved food.

"What are you thinking?" Bellatrix looked up from petting the dog to Sirius.

"How I've lost my appetite."

Sirius turned to leave the kitchen and then turned to her before he stepped out of the room. "I'm going to my room." He then smiled at her, glad he would leave saying the last word.

He was halfway up the stairs when he heard footsteps following him. He stopped and turned to see Bellatrix. They were face to face.

"Stop following me," he said.

She snorted, then added, "I thought I was offered an invitation."

He continued to walk up the stairs. When he got to his bedroom door, he reached for the door knob but didn't turn it. Instead, he turned his head. Bellatrix had ascended a few more steps. He turned back to his door and waited a few seconds before he turned the knob and opened the door. He stepped aside and looked towards Bellatrix, who lifted up her dress as she walked up the remaining steps. Sirius kept his eyes on her black lace-up boots. He didn't look at her as she passed by him. Once she entered his room, he stepped in and closed the door behind them.

Bellatrix was lacing up her black boots at the edge of Sirius's bed. Sirius looked at her with his eyebrows scrunched together.

"Why such a look?" Bellatrix picked up her dress from the floor and slid into it. "It's not like we haven't done this before."

He knew he couldn't deny it. He turned to the window and saw that the storm had passed, and the sun was almost about to rise. He wished he could start the day over again but knew it would have done little good for the choices he had made, especially when surrounded by Blacks.

"I asked what you were thinking." He felt Bellatrix's weigh on his bed again. He would not look at her. He would not let her see the depression that had just taken over him. He took a deep breath and turned his head in her direction and laughed.

"I was thinking how crazy you are."

She snickered, "You and I are the same."

Sirius laughed again and sat up stretching, placing his hands behind his head, making himself comfortable and relaxing against the headboard. "I think you better leave before someone sees you coming out of my bedroom." He finally looked at her and smiled.

She moved closer to him. He gathered up his strength not to move back and prayed she wasn't going to kiss him goodbye.

"Well, cousin, that was fun," she said. "Till next time."

He laughed again removing his hands from behind his head, placing them by his side and trying to back away from her. There was no need. She quickly removed herself from his bed and walked out the door.

He stared at the closed door with her words 'Till next time' echoing in his mind. He sighed, thinking about how each time they had one of their trysts, he swore to himself it would never happen again. That he shouldn't be messing around with the crazy bitch. But tonight he realized he wasn't immune to the madness that went on in this family.

He got out of bed and walked past a mirror and saw his naked reflection, which reminded him of what he had done. He grabbed the bathrobe that was on his chair and put it on as he walked toward the window. He opened it and could see the tree he and Regulus used to climb. How they would race each other to see who would reach the top first. Regulus would always beat him, even though Sirius claimed he let his younger brother win. Both knew the truth but didn't say anything. How they enjoyed each other's company then. Now they were divided. Divided at school and divided at home. What would have happened if the Sorting Hat had put him in Slytherin or Regulus in Gryffindor? But what did it matter now?

Sirius walked out of his room and started down the hall. He stopped and stood by his brother's door. He had taught Regulus how to ward his room from unwelcome guests. Usually, they would both ward the room from everyone but each other. That had changed a couple of years ago when Sirius no longer welcomed free entry into his room to Regulus. Sirius never knew if his brother had done the same.

He gently touched the door to his brother's bedroom, and it opened. Sirius opened the door a few more inches and looked in to see his younger brother sleeping. Regulus moved his head to one side of his pillow and mumbled something. Sirius quietly closed the door, hoping not to wake him. He heard a noise coming from behind the door and quickly descended down the staircase and out the front door. Once out the door, he was thankful he hadn't run into anyone, not even an elf.

He walked farther from the house to some trees. Looking around he saw nobody and removed his bathrobe and changed into a black dog. He sat on his hind legs, taking one more look at 12 Grimmauld Place, he saw a shadow figure looking out of Regulus' window. As the older brother, Sirius told himself that he should stay for the younger brother, but how could he save Regulus when he was barely able to survive?

He made his choice and Regulus would have to make his.

Sirius took one more look at Regulus' window and now saw it was him. Sirius got on all fours and turned and ran away from Grimmauld Place, planning never to return.

Thanks for reading reviewing or just stopping by.

AN The title of this story is from the song with the same title written by Robert Tepper & Guy Marshall sung by Pat Benatar.


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